The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sees the upcoming Quality Assurance & Performance Improvement guidelines, not harsher penalties, as the way to reduce adverse events in post-acute care, officials said on an Open Door Forum call Thursday.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services still cannot say when an official regulation will be established for the Quality Assessment and Performance Initiative, but that's not stopping the agency from moving forward with QAPI initiatives. Providers should feel confident they will be well prepared for QAPI by following the recommendations in recently posted online materials, said CMS project officer Deborah Lyons, RN.